Can Google Penetrate Search Queries, like a Search by Zip Code Directory?

Q: Does the directory work even if it is behind a zip code search, like a store locator? i.e. Can Google see it behind the zip code entry?

Answer. If you want Google to spider your web pages, you MUST create straightforward HTML pages and those pages MUST be linked one to another via traditional HTML. So if, for example, you have a searchable directory (people must enter a search term, hit enter, and then see results)… then that is NOT visible to Google.
As we will learn in the class on Website structure, as well you do not want parameter based URLs (?, %, etc.), as these also indicate to Google a searchable function, and are generally deprecated.

So the solution is to create TWO paths. A ‘search’ path for humans, by which you must enter keywords to find information, and a ‘browse’ path for both humans and Google by which you can get from page to page by ‘clicking,’ or in Google’s case by ‘crawling.’

About
Jason McDonald, Ph.D

Got a question? Click this link to email Jason or call 888-993-1122. Dr. Jason McDonald is founder and Senior SEO / Social Media Director of the JM Internet Group. He teaches the SEO training classes for the group, and therefore provides most of the SEO tips for this blog. His goal with this blog is to provide an easy 'one-stop shop' for the busy marketer looking for tips, tricks, and secrets on how to get to the top of Google and Bing for free using proven SEO tactics. When not dreaming up SEO tips, Dr. McDonald lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, two dogs, a cat, four iguanas and twelve children (just kidding). Really you read down to the bio on this guy? Enjoy the blog.